Still, if people draw swords, I have to swing my sword too. I walked vigorously, clenching my teeth against the cold. However, despite this effort, there was no significant gain.

‘I don’t see anything suspicious.’

It was just an ordinary rural village.

‘But it’s undoubtedly quiet. It seems to lack vitality compared to Nerris.’

Having seen Nerris’s festival a few days ago, it was inevitable to make comparisons.

‘But the population of the Grand Duchy is much smaller.’

Increasing the population is undoubtedly the most critical issue in developing this territory.
Still, the city appeared stable.

‘The expressions aren’t dark. It means there’s enough food.’

It was also evidence of Hadel’s efforts.

I sat down on the street for a moment and watched the people passing by.

‘Maybe it’s because of winter, but everyone looks so bundled up. Well, even if I were like this, if someone told me to bathe in cold water in this season, I would just live with bugs crawling on me.’

Ugh, just thinking about entering cold water now made my body shiver.

‘Only after becoming a vampire did I understand what cold really is. During that time, just immersing in water felt warm automatically… Ah.’

Thinking back to when I was human, just the thought of entering the lukewarm lake, which warmed up as soon as I entered, came to mind.

‘Right, even now we heat water with magic. Can’t we install facilities for hot water in the village, like making hot springs using magic stones, just as we made the Hinaari Tan? Hadel’s firepower is sufficient. If we create hot springs like that…’

The image of everyone soaking their bodies in a warm hot spring made me extremely satisfied.

‘Alright, alright. Once I get back to the castle, I’ll discuss it with Hadel.’

Wouldn’t that not only improve the residents’ lives but also help increase the population?

Getting carried away with such thoughts, I suddenly remembered the biggest obstacle to the Grand Duchy’s population increase. It was the monsters.

‘The appearance of monsters in the Grand Duchy is very different from the monsters I used to defeat. Ordinary animals seemed to be just frozen. Like Yunnysia…’

I paused.

‘…Wait a minute, Yunnysia?’

I realized my preconceptions.

‘Yul survived for over a hundred years with her heart frozen. Could those monsters be the same?’

While I had been thinking that the appearance of ice monsters inside the castle was suspicious, I had only considered that they might be hiding. Maybe they could have been created by humans.

‘Right. I even fed my heart pieces to animals. There’s a good chance they experimented on Espen’s heart too.’

What if they discovered the process of turning into an ice monster?

‘In that case, maybe they raise animals regularly and feed their hearts when they want to create ice monsters.’

Finally, I found a clue. I stood up.

‘First, let’s go to a place with many animals.’

If it had been covered with snow, I probably wouldn’t have had the courage, but luckily, it wasn’t that cold. I confidently strode forward on all fours.

I wondered how long I had been running. Suddenly, children surrounded me.

“Oh, it’s a vampire!”

“Kyoo.”

Thinking that I might get some clues, I stopped walking. When I widened my eyes, a little girl screamed and approached me.

“So cute.”
Tiny hands stroked my head as if petting a puppy. If it were another Jokjeibi, I might have bitten firmly, but I pretended to be cute and stayed quiet. Then other children hesitantly approached me.

“The other Jokjeibi used to be fierce, but this one is so gentle. I wonder who raises it?”

“Fool, who raises a Jokjeibi? If you sell its leather, it must be expensive.”

“Selling such a small one, how much could it be worth?”

“Hey, even though it looks like that, how about buying a few bags of the candy you said tasted good last time?”

‘No, is it that expensive?’

While adults in the castle negotiated over the value of my leather, it was something else to have these little kids eyeing my skin!

‘Wait, are they trying to trade me for candy or something?’

“Kkyu kkyu.”

I cried out as a clear sign not to sell and eat me. In response, a girl hugged me tightly.

“Child, so cute. I don’t know! I won’t eat candy and raise a Jokjeibi!”

“Kkyuu.”

Yeah, that’s right. Good thinking.

‘This one knows how to appreciate a Jokjeibi. When I return to the castle later, I’ll ask for some candy.’